seacat03 – Thank you! The writers need to make up their minds about what they want to do with this show next season and stay committed to their plotlines. I plan to catch up on Glee tonight!
Karissa – Thanks! I really, really hope that Shelby will make an appearance at the end of this season, but I don't think that's going to happen. She should be there for her daughter when she graduates, at the least.
Holly Rosslyn – Thanks! I will try my best to get another chapter out soon. I was able to write this one pretty easily. I had this chapter outlined before I had the first one. I have been trying to write 1000+ words everyday and I am working on a schedule of when I want to get each chapter out.
sillystarshine – Thank you so much! I love Rachel/Shelby stories, as well. I was very excited to hear that Glee would be covering 'Edge of Glory," at Nationals; they usually always do a great job with covering Lady Gaga's songs.
Dee – I will try to get this out soon! I want to make sure I do this right, especially with it being my first fanfiction. Quinn is another favorite of mine!
Drea LuRuiz – Thank you! All I want is for Shelby to come back and fix things… and maybe, just possible sing another duet with Rachel. I keep thinking she will appear, but she never does. The songs she sang are so amazing, especially 'I Dreamed a Dream' and 'Somewhere.' Her voice makes my heart melt.
kitaleigh – Thank you! I hope to have this up soon!
fja – (:
ljw – Thank you! I was very nervous about posting my first story, but I think people will really like what I have planned.
w1cked – Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
anon – Thank you so much!
sophielovesglee – Thank you! I hope I don't disappoint anyone with this chapter. I packed a lot or maybe I moved too fast. I was going to have this in two parts, but I thought that it'd be best to get some action in right away.
tlgonzal – My fingers are crossed in hopes that Shelby will make an appearance. It seems silly that Rachel is going through all this without her. Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed chapter one!
Ann2012 – Thank you so much! I plan to continue this story as long as my readers enjoy it! I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
Wow! I am absolutely blown away by the response I got! Thank you! All the alerts and comments motivated me to start writing the next chapter right away and get it out as soon as I could! I tried to get this written fast because I didn't want to keep you all waiting. I hope that I do not disappoint any of you and that you all enjoy this chapter. A lot will happen in the next two chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Rachel hated Lima. It was boring. Nothing happened in this town, ever. This town was so chill people practically left their doors wide open at night or when they left their house. No one locked their cars and everyone knew each other. Trying to keep a secret in this town was impossible. Word spread like wild fire, faster than rumors spread around in High School.
Rachel stared out the window. Another thing she hated. Math. How would knowing about special right triangles and the fractions help her make it to Broadway? The answer was it wasn't. Simple as that. Rachel huffed and looked at the clock. One minute had passed. It felt like eternity. Rachel wanted to be back in New York City amongst the hustle and bustle.
Rachel started to doodle in the margins of her math book to help pass the time. 'Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity'
"Rachel Berry," A voice pulled Rachel from her thoughts.
Rachel looked up from her book. Everyone was staring at her. Did she have something on her face?
"Ms. Berry. What's the answer to the problem?" The teacher was clearly annoyed. Maybe she hated math too, but was forced to teach the subject because there were no other openings.
Rachel bit her lip and looked around for help. Instead, the class erupted into a wave of laughter. Rachel slide into her chair. It wasn't that funny. Rachel didn't laugh when someone was put on the spot. The teacher did this on purpose; Rachel thought to herself, she knew I wasn't paying attention, so she called on me to embarrass me. Why did teachers do this? Was it for entertainment? Was it to prove something? Rachel's mind continued to rage on. Clearly, I didn't know the answer because I wasn't raising my hand!
"Mike," The teacher didn't even give Rachel a chance. "Do you think you could help Miss. Berry out?"
Mike smirked in Rachel's direction and used his know-it-all voice to give the correct answer. He got a few high fives from his buds afterwards.
Rachel never hated anyone, but Mike was an exception. He was the "hot shot" of the school. Everyone wanted to be his friend.
Rachel stared down at the math book again and racked her brain for a song from her repertoire of musicals that would fit her current situation.
After what felt like eternity, the bell finally rang, indicating that class was over. Rachel shot out of her seat. She had places to go and people to see. She didn't want to be breathing the same air as the people in her class. The talent in the room was lacking.
"Excuse me," Rachel mumbled as she tried to make her way through the crowed of students to get to her locker. She was walking against the crowd, which was impossible. No one wanted to step aside, ever. Being short was a struggle, which made it ever worse trying to navigate the hallways. For starters, you always got a backpack shoved in your face going up the stairs.
"Hey! Watch it!" A boy shouted as Rachel bumped into him.
"Sorry," Rachel mumbled. It wasn't her fault! She was getting pushed and shoved!
"Move out of the way!" Another person shouted, while shoving Rachel aside.
One more year and then I am out of here, Rachel thought to herself. She had already been counting down the days until she started high school. Hell, she was counting down the days until she could live in New York City. It couldn't be worse, high school, right? There was Glee Club, more classes, theater, and after that college! NYADA. New York City. Broadway. Rachel already had her audition song picked out, months and months ago. She already had her apartment in New York City picked out. It had the perfect view at night. Rachel also had the perfect roommate in mind and what their dorm would look like. In addition to all that, Rachel had also already cast herself in a new musical that she would be a part of that would win her a Tony.
Rachel dreamed of going to NYADA all her life. Amazing people went there and left their mark. Rachel was going to be one of those people. Someone would name a statue after her or name a theater in New York after her.
Shelby leaned back in at the director's table and watched as Vocal Adrenaline ran through their entire set, again. She had no doubt that they would win at Nationals, despite what she heard about New Directions, their rivals.
Shelby's thoughts on New Directions went a little like this: yes, they had talented students, very talented, but after years of experience Shelby could predict who would win and who would lose. The reason why New Directions were not as successful was because of their music choice, for starters. Will Schuester, their coach, liked Journey too much. He needed to bring some old music back, something refreshing. And second, their chorography. It was mediocre, enough said.
If New Directions wanted a shot at winning, they needed to stop playing it safe. Push the boundaries. Take a risk. Shelby had to admit, she saw potential in that team, it was just a matter of taking the dive.
Shelby watched each person like a hawk. Making sure that they were all in synch, that the girls were hitting their marks, that boys weren't struggling with the lifts, and that, of course, they all had their show face on. The key was making it look easy, while still looking like you were having the time of your life.
Her chorography was difficult, it required a lot of breath control to be able to sing and dance at the same time.
"Stop, just stop!" This was turning into a train wreck. People were getting sloppy. Shelby made a mental note that the next time she held auditions; she would have each person run a mile or so, in addition to the singing and dancing part of the audition. You needed endurance to be on this team.
The music stopped. The silence was deafening. All held their breath, despite how out of breath they were.
Rachel stared at her refection. Her dance class had ended a few hours ago, but Rachel stayed behind to perfect her solo. She had an extremely important dance competition coming up and Rachel wanted to do well, not only for herself and her dance teacher, but for her fathers. All she wanted was to make them proud. She saw how excited they were when she told them she had a solo. Rachel could only imagine their faces seeing her win first overall. She felt the pressure, for sure, but it only pushed her to do better.
"Hey," That was a familiar voice.
"Kurt," Rachel said with a smile. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
Kurt was one of Rachel's best friends, next to Quinn. He was about Rachel's age. He was very mature for his age, practically an adult, unlike about ninety-eight percent of the other boys in the school. The three had met at the beginning of last year in English class. They had been through so much already. They were all close, yet had so many different interests. Kurt was more of the artist and Quinn was the athletic one. While Quinn was one of the more liked students in the school, she did enjoy being around Kurt and Rachel. It bugged the two that Quinn was a completely different person in school. So what if she had to keep her status? And finally, Rachel, she was the one who performed whenever she got the chance to. The other two did have a slight interest in that area, but didn't really pursue it.
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked as she reached for dance bag and swung it over her shoulder.
"I stayed after to get some extra help and I knew I'd find you here. Besides, I could hear 'The Way We Were' all the way down the hall," Kurt said with a light smile.
The Middle School and the High School were right next to each other. Because Lima was such a small town, the dance studio was in the High School. Lima wasn't exactly wealthy, one would say. At one point, Rachel's fathers had thought that she should switch studios to a town outside Lima, but Rachel insisted that this one was perfect. It was close to home and it was barely a walk from the Middle School, for the days she had dance right after school.
Another reason why Rachel loved her dance studio was because her practice happened when New Directions rehearsed. Rachel loved hearing them rehearse. Glee Club sounded like so much fun and Rachel dreamed of being in it. Rachel knew she could give some of the singers on the team a run for their money.
Rachel smiled. Kurt was like the mother out of the three of them. He always knew what to say and what to do when one of them was down.
"Is that your solo song?" Kurt asked. "Because if it is, I totally approve. I can bet no one else will be dancing to Babs,"
"No, I just like to listen to Barbra while I'm winding down," Rachel replied. "Walk me out? My father's should be here soon,"
"Of course," Kurt replied.
Back at the Berry resistance, Hiram and Leroy were seated at the kitchen table.
"You know what we have to do," Leroy said, eyeing Hiram carefully.
"No, I don't, actually," Hiram challenged. He leaned back in his chair. He knew what Leroy was going to say, but he didn't want to admit it.
Shortly after their trip to New York City that past weekend, Leroy, as promised, broke the news to Rachel.
"Rachel?" Leroy knocked lightly on his daughter's door.
"Come in," He heard Rachel say through her door.
Leroy walked in. Rachel's room was decorated in dozens of Broadway posters. Some big and some small. She had a make shift Tony on her dresser next to a bedazzled microphone. Rachel even bedazzled her hairbrush. One of the corners in her room was just for Broadway CD's. The pile was taller than her. One wall was just for Barbra Streisand. Leroy sighed. He wondered if this would pass.
His daughter was sat at her computer, watching something intently. Oh, no. Leroy thought to himself. She was watching a video of Vocal Adrenaline's performance to 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' Did this girl ever listen?
Downstairs, Hiram anxiously paced around the kitchen. He hated that he was forced to agree to do this. This was going to break his daughter's heart. He wished there was another way to handle this. No one prepared you for parenthood. It wasn't the hardest job, yet the most rewarding. Hiram would not change it for the world.
"Rachel," Leroy said, sternly.
"Just a second. This is almost over," Rachel said to the computer. She had her faced practically pressed up against the screen.
Rachel had watched this number over and over again. Each time she noticed something new. The chorography was beautiful and the costumes fitting. Shelby Corcoran was a genius.
Leroy had it. He got up and closed Rachel's computer. He needed Rachel to listen, now, not in a few seconds.
"Daddy!" Rachel cried, as she turned to face him.
"This has got to stop, Rachel." Leroy began. "I don't want you spending hours on the computer watching videos of Vocal Adrenaline. You need to spend your time doing something else. Go for a walk, work on your solo, read… something other than this!"
"But, daddy," Rachel cried. "I haven't spent hours watching them today! In fact, I haven't since New York! Why are you trying to keep me from seeing them? It's not like I have a chance at meeting them, I might as well watch their videos and learn from them!" Rachel was getting worked up. "I want and I plan to join Glee club when I get into high school. I look up to them, daddy! You just need to give them a chance!" Rachel stopped, waiting for her daddy to say something.
Leroy sat on the edge of Rachel's bed. It was now or never.
"What?" Rachel spat.
"Watch your tone," Leroy warned. His face then softened. "Rachel, I feel like… what I am trying to say is.. I need to tell you this and it is very important that you listen and do not interrupt me until I am finished talking, understand?"
"Where's dad?" Rachel asked. Why wasn't he here too?
"He is downstairs, Rachel. Can you please just listen?"
Rachel nodded. She fiddled with a hoodie that was draped over the back of her chair.
"Dad and I have talked about this and he came to a conclusion that you are ready for this news. It is about Vocal Adrenaline." He said carefully.
Rachel sat up straight. She knew everything about this choir like the back of her hand. She knew about each member and Shelby Corcoran. She followed all their blogs and Twitters. She followed all the choirs, as a matter of fact. There was no way her father knew something she didn't.
Rachel kicked a stone as she paced outside the school. It had only been about ten minutes. Rachel wasn't worried, her dads were usually a bit late. Also, Kurt was there to keep her company.
Kurt watched Rachel as she paced back and forth.
"So, diva. It has been exactly three days since you got back from New York City and you have yet to tell me how it went." Kurt was trying to think of a good conversation starter, something to fill the silence. "Did something happen?" He truly wondered why Rachel hadn't said a word. She hadn't even sent him pictures while she was there.
"No, nothing happened," Rachel started. She was still kicking the stone around. "It was perfect. New York City was just as amazing, as usual. Wicked was perfect. I think Quinn really enjoyed it, too, but she won't admit it."
Kurt was not satisfied. What was she not telling him?
"Quinn and I also got the chance to look about Time Square on our own. This was fun. Also, our hotel was right in the heart of the city. I wish we could have stayed longer,"
"That sounds amazing, Rach," Kurt said.
Rachel bit her lip. "And,"
Kurt leaned forward. Here it comes.
"Vocal Adrenaline stayed in the same hotel-"
"What? No way! Why have you been holding out on me? That is so awesome, Rachel! Did you talk to them? Did you get to see them rehearse? Was Shelby Corcoran there? Did you take any pictures? Did you sing with them? What about Quinn? Was she excited to see them?" Kurt rambled out a dozen or so more questions. He, too, was a fan of Vocal Adrenaline. Rachel introduced them to him via YouTube and he was hooked. He also planned to join Glee Club in high school.
Rachel didn't respond. She bit the inside of her mouth and looked up at the sound of a car passing by, hoping that it was her fathers, but it wasn't.
"Rachel, did you hear me? Did you get to meet them? Did you get to hear them rehearse? Why were they in New York City so early? Nationals aren't for a few more days…"
"Kurt, no, we didn't get to meet them. I wish though. I was really excited when I saw some of their tweets saying that they would be in New York."
Kurt nodded. "Go on," He was getting anxious.
"We- I saw them warm up early in the morning. Hearing them sing was magical, Kurt. I wish you were there with me. Quinn was still sleeping at the time. But Kurt, they were pitch perfect. I wish I had their breath control. I mean, it was super early in the morning and they still sounded amazing."
For some reason, Kurt didn't believe that Rachel actually had a fantastic time. She wasn't herself. She wasn't as enthusiastic. A red flag went up when she didn't tell him every detail about her trip the minute she got home.
"Honey, something happened," Kurt interrupted her. It was more of a statement, really. "What is going on? You are clearly not yourself."
Rachel was hesitant. She wanted to tell Kurt. She hadn't talked to anyone about New York since last night when her fathers told her about Vocal Adrenaline. Usually she talked about her trips to New York for days on end. But, her conversation with Leroy last night had put her into a complete funk. She didn't know who to believe now. She was in denial. It wasn't true.
"Don't you have to be somewhere?" Rachel asked.
"No, I don't actually," Kurt replied.
Kurt did not have to be anywhere. He was here, now, for Rachel. Whenever Rachel or any of his friends needed to talk, he would move mountains to be there for them.
Rachel was silent for a beat.
"I lied, kind of…" A beat. "New York City was fun, but… I… it just wasn't the best trip I have ever had. Yes, it wonderful getting to see Wicked and getting to bring Quinn along and also getting to see Vocal Adrenaline, but my fathers… they have been so… weird, especially Leroy. His temper was horrible and he snapped at me, in front of Quinn. It was embarrassing. Hiram wasn't as bad, but… I don't know."
Kurt was trying to wrap his head around what Rachel was telling him. She was talking in fragments.
"They just- they are unhappy with me now… or maybe they are mad. They… Leroy said some stuff to me last night. They don't like that I am, I guess you could say, following Vocal Adrenaline around, but I wasn't! I wasn't following them around like a puppy dog! I saw them, twice, Kurt, twice! I could have seen them more, but I didn't! There wasn't time! They also freaked out when I mentioned Shelby Corcoran,"
"Did you get to talk to her?" Kurt cut in, wide eyed. "She-"
"No, I didn't, but I got to hear her sing. I can't explain her voice, Kurt. It is like trying to explain the Grand Canyon to a blind person… you simply can't. It was that amazing." Rachel said with a light smile, trying to go back to that morning when she heard her sing. "And get this, as I saw her leaving the hotel, she had a gold star necklace, just like mine." Rachel pointed to her own necklace. She never took it off, ever.
Rachel joined Kurt on the bench and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I just- I don't understand why they are so upset with me and don't want me knowing about them, especially Shelby. It hurts, you know? I feel like I did something wrong… that I disappointed them, once again. I just want to make them happy, Kurt. I want to make them proud. I want to get their approval. It hurts because I am not getting any answers; at least, I'm not getting the answers I want."
Kurt leaned his head on top of Rachel's and snaked his arm around her waist.
"I'm so sorry, honey. That is unfair, I know." Kurt didn't know what to say this time. Though he was oddly jealous. He wanted to be there to hear Shelby sing. He too, had watched endless YouTube videos of those few who dared to record during a Vocal Adrenaline performance.
Those videos barely lasted longer than a month on YouTube. Somehow, and Kurt was sure it was her doing; Shelby got those videos pulled from the website. She obviously did not like having them out there for people, especially other choirs to see and take notes on. No one knew what songs Vocal Adrenaline would sing until the day of a competition or a performance. No one knew what songs they had sung in the past unless someone told them who had seen them perform first hand.
The pair sat in silence. No sign of Rachel's dads, still.
Rachel sat up a bit and checked the time on her phone. "Where are they?" She had no missed calls and no texts from them. Did they forget about her? Rachel dialed Hiram and got his answering machine. She tried Leroy, but he didn't answer either. He usually never carried his phone around. He was still learning how to turn it on.
Hiram and Leroy were still sitting at the kitchen table. Hiram glanced at the clock.
"Rachel should be getting out of dance soon." Hiram said as he sipped his coffee.
The two had just discussed their next course of action concerning Rachel and Vocal Adrenaline. They had hoped that their talk with her the other night would silence all her questions and that she would stop trying to see them and asking about them.
"You know Rach likes to stay after for a bit. I'd say we have at least another half hour," Leroy said simply. "Let's just go take care of this next course of business right now."
Hiram cut in, "But-"
"If we think we will be later, we can always just shoot Rachel a text message. I'm sure she wouldn't mind staying after a few extra minutes."
Hiram was hesitant, but finally nodded; he wanted to get this out of the way. With that, the two walked out of the car with one destination in mind, Carmel High School.
Four hours later and Vocal Adrenaline finally started looking like a team. Shelby wondered if any of her coaching would stick by tomorrow morning or if she would have to do this all over again.
"Good!" Shelby called from her directors table with a sign. "Take five everyone!"
"Was that a compliment?" Nicole asked as she massaged her feet. She had sat down right where she was standing, there was no way she could move another inch, especially in the heels that Shelby had each girl wear. She could feel blisters forming on top of old blisters.
"Don't hold your breath," Jesse replied as she plopped next to her. He, again, had so much energy.
"Lexi seems to be improving," Nicole offered.
Lexi was that girl that everyone seemed to forget. She was new to the team. A freshman. Bottom of the food chain. Most of Vocal Adrenaline had said that they did not need new members this year and that it was unnecessary to hold auditions for the start of the new season, but Shelby insisted. She claimed that there was talent just waiting to be discovered. Shelby said that she saw something in Lexi.
Lexi sat off to the side. She wasn't really close with anyone on the team, yet. She was kind of the underdog. Everyone knew each other and had all their inside jokes. They had been together some for all fours years, some for just three or even two, but Lexi didn't really know anyone, only Nicole, really. Lexi was only really able to start a conversation with a handful of people.
"Sure," Jesse said. "She's whatever."
"That was mean," Nicole said under her breath, punching Jesse on the shoulder, hoping that Lexi didn't hear what he said.
Sure, no one really knew what the deal with Lexi was, but she was on the team and making it on the team was a huge deal.
"Whatever," Jesse said as he took a sip of water.
"Okay, everyone, I've decided to let you free, but just this once. You'll thank me later. Get some rest and be here early tomorrow morning. Don't come to practice and suddenly you forget the dance. If you have, I will admit you to the hospital and get your heads checked out." Shelby said.
Shelby was serious. While some might think it was a threat, Shelby always followed through. There was no joking about show choir. It was a serious business.
Was this real life? Shelby cutting practice short was unheard of. Everyone sat there, shocked.
"What?" Shelby yelled. "Would you like to stay longer? Because I can arrange that. I can have us here past midnight."
No. No, thank you. Everyone scrambled over each other. No one wanted to be the last one out.
"Lexi," Shelby called out. "Can you stay for just a minute, please?"
Lexi bit her lip and nodded lightly. She felt all eyes on hers, like daggers. She didn't want to know what was going through everyone's mind because she knew what they were thinking.
Lexi stood a bit away from Shelby and watched as everyone else exited, murmuring quietly to each other.
"Ignore them," Shelby said with a light smile as she walked towards Lexi.
Lexi look up at Shelby. The woman was gorgeous. And so incredibly talented. Lexi wanted so badly to impress Shelby and prove to Vocal Adrenaline that she could keep up. She was so happy and thankful that Shelby let her on the team. It was a huge deal and Lexi was well aware of that.
"You know," Rachel said as she looked down at her phone. "Maybe… they are just running late. They tend to do that a bit, but it's not a problem." Rachel stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll just start walking, just to save them some time. Plus, I need the exercise."
Kurt stood up. "Rach, I don't think that's a good idea. It is getting dark out."
Rachel turned around, "Really, it is not a problem. It is not a long walk. Plus, this town is boring as hell, I'll be fine, no one is going to try to kidnap me or something crazy like that. I'll talk to you later, Kurt." With that, Rachel started walking off.
Kurt caught up with Rachel stopped her. "Stop saying that, okay?"
Rachel turned around and faced Kurt and looked him in the eyes. "Kurt, really, it is okay. Seriously. I want to walk."
"Why don't you wait until with me until my dad comes and I know he can give you a ride. Call your dads and tell them that you have a ride home now. Maybe you can catch them before they head towards the school. Save them a trip."
Kurt lived kind of far from McKinley. He actually lived much closer to the Carmel school district. Why he didn't attend there, Rachel wasn't sure. Regardless, she was glad he went to McKinley. She couldn't imagine her life without Kurt. It was different, but he kept her on her toes.
Right then Rachel's phone chimed, telling her she had a text. Rachel opened the text as fast as she could, her heart picked up a bit, in anticipation of what it said and who it was from. It was from Hiram. Daddy and I ran out to run a few errands. We are running a bit late. Hope you don't mind staying after for a bit longer. Pasta for dinner. Can't wait to see that solo you have been working on. Xo.
"Who is that from?" Kurt asked as he looked over Rachel's shoulder.
"That was my dad. He and daddy are going to be a bit later than expected." Rachel sent him a quick text back. It's okay. Kurt can give me a ride home. I'll see you soon. And yum.
Rachel then looked up from her phone. "That ride would be great,"
Hiram looked at his phone. Something told him that Rachel wasn't okay. Deep down Hiram knew that this wasn't right. He didn't want to confront Shelby Corcoran, but he loved Leroy and wanted to support him. In most cases like this, Leroy knew what he was doing and always had solid reasoning for his actions.
Hiram looked over at this husband who had his eyes trained on the road. One hand was on the wheel and the other was resting on the gear shirt. They hadn't said much to each other since they left the house.
Hiram reached over and rested his hand on Leroy's.
"We're doing the right thing. This is to protect Rachel from getting hurt." Leroy said, still looking forward.
Hiram only nodded. He wanted to believe him.
"I just-" Hiram didn't know what to say. Why was he having such a hard time expressing his opinions? This never used to be a problem. And it shouldn't be a problem. "It's just that… we can't protect her forever. She is going to want to know who her mother is. She is going to ask questions and she won't stop until she gets an answer. Plus, I think… I think she knows, or she has a good idea who she is." A beat. "Leroy, I think we should turn around and go pick up our daughter. This was a mistake."
Leroy was not paying attention. Oh, he heard Hiram, loud and clear, but there was no way in hell he was going to turn the car around. His removed his hand from Hiram's and gripped her wheel. He didn't respond. He was calm and now he was furious. Just like that. It was taking everything he had to not lash out.
"Hiram! We are going to talk to Shelby and we are going to tell her to back the hell off. I know she saw Rachel while we were there! They know too much about each other now. She was just too busy with that damn choir! We are going to give Shelby an ultimatum. Either she quits coaching Vocal Adrenaline and moves away or we cut off the contract all together! It's that simple! I will not have my daughter seeing that woman! End of discussion!"
Leroy pressed forward, speeding up as they neared Carmel. Cars whizzed by. He needed to get there, fast, before Hiram did something stupid, like try to reach over Leroy and turn the car around.
Leroy was too angry to see that he ran a red light. He was too angry that he didn't hear Hiram yelling at him to slow down. He was too angry to hear a car honking its horn. He was too angry to see his daughter and Kurt near Carmel High School. He was too concentrated on what he wanted.
It would only be a few more minutes before Kurt's dad would be there. He was, of course, more than happy to give Rachel a ride. He adored that girl very much.
Rachel was quiet. Kurt wanted her to say something. She did, after a beat.
"Quinn said that she thought Shelby Corcoran and I looked familiar. Isn't that silly?" Rachel laughed, but it didn't really sound like a laugh, it was more of a dry bark. "I did some research… Quinn helped." Rachel met Kurt's eyes. "Kurt, I think- I think she is my mother. I think Quinn is right."
Kurt's eyes went wide. He was expecting Rachel to talk, but he wasn't expecting this.
"Rachel, are you positive? Are you sure?" Kurt didn't know what to say. He definitely did not want Rachel to get her hopes up.
Rachel nodded and then shook her head. She didn't know how, but it made sense. It would explain why her father's didn't want her to know about Vocal Adrenaline anymore. It would explain the gold star necklace, maybe, or maybe that was just a coincidence. And it would also explain Rachel's gift of singing.
Just then, Kurt's dad's car could be seen nearing the school.
Kurt got close to Rachel and whispered something to her as his dad pulled in front of them.
"Why don't I have my dad drop us off at Carmel? I can say that we want to walk the rest of the way or that I will walk you home; I know he wouldn't question us. I'm sure your father's wouldn't mind. Let's go and investigate. I can bet that Vocal Adrenaline will still be rehearsing. You know Shelby."
Rachel met Kurt's eyes again. She did know. She nodded as a small smile snaked across her face. It was time she found out the real answer. This time, she wouldn't be alone.
Shelby Corcoran was packing up her things. She had spoken to Lexi in hopes of boosting her confidence. Shelby knew that bringing in a new member was hard, not just for Vocal Adrenaline, but also for her, Lexi. She hated that Vocal Adrenaline were treating her so terribly. She just wanted Nicole to know that is was going to get easy and that she was on the team, for good. She made the team for a reason, because she had talent. She beat out everyone else who auditioned, and that was saying a lot. Lexi would learn so much and would be able to carry that with her for the rest of her life.
Shelby looked at her watch, it was getting late. She was exhausted. She had to teach and reteach a majority of the chorography tonight. It was like Vocal Adrenaline had the memory of a fridge magnet. All Shelby wanted to do was to collapse on her coach with a glass of wine and watch Funny Girl.
Shelby was pulled from her thoughts when he heard a crash. It was a sound like no other. It was the sound of metal hitting metal. It was the kind of sound that made you freeze. Like the world suddenly slowed down. Like you were frozen in ice and if you moved an inch, a sharp pain would shoot through your body.
She could hear her own heart beating like a drum, clear as day. It sounded like it was in her ears as well. Shelby didn't realize she was holding her breath, her eyes wide open. She was paralyzed. What was that? What was going on? Why couldn't she move?
What pushed Shelby to move, what made her adrenaline rush was the cry that could be heard in the theater. It rang out. Shelby felt like she knew that cry.
Shelby grabbed her grabbed her bag and darted out the door. Why weren't her legs moving faster? Move!
The cries became louder. There were shouts. "Someone call 911!" She heard someone yell. "Are those her parents?" another yelled.
"Oh no! No!" That was another familiar voice to Shelby.
"Daddy! Dad! Wake up, please! Open your eyes! Can you hear me? Daddy! Dad! Why aren't you moving! Please, say something! Someone get help, please! Please, someone!" That same little voice was crying out.
Shelby pushed through the doors of the school. It was dark out. She wrapped her jacket tighter around herself. She rushed to where the sound was coming from. Then, she saw a little brunette girl on her hands and knees, bent close to the car that was turned upside down. Crying out to her dads.
Shelby's heart was in her throat. No one had to tell Shelby who that was because she knew her daughter anywhere. Rachel.
A/N: Once again, thank you so much for all your support! It amazes me how many of you have stumbled across this so fast. I am nervous about posting this chapter and I am sure there are a lot of spelling errors and I apologize for that. I read it over multiple times, but you know, it gets tiring reading the same thing over and over again. Please, please let me know what you think. My goal is to get a new chapter out within a few days, if possible. I got lucky this week and didn't have a lot of homework. Some questions will be answered in chapter three. Summer starts soon and I should have a lot of free time! This is just the start. There is a lot more to come!